I was doing public events in many venues in Tucson before the COVID epidemic. Since 2019, I have not done any in person trainings and teachings on site and have taught myself to master Zoom meetings and virtual presentations.
That said, this conversation opens up the subject of how we have survived COVID, those of us who were lucky enough to come through it, and how we are doing now. This post is on January 3, 2023, and we are still being urged to be cautious and careful.
I think this begs the question: “How will life be after COVID? How do I want to live my life post-COVID? How do I want to feel?” My concern is that we will think, “Okay, back to Normal.” But, our Normal will never be the same as it once was. We have changed and the world has changed forever. So, how do we fit our life as it is today into the future that has no epidemic? Here are some thoughts.
Let’s begin with environments. Many of our environments have changed dramatically. Kids were out of school and homebound, learning from the kitchen table through a TV screen, parents were in home offices for the first time and with their spouses and kids 24/7, living rooms became the home of desks and office chairs and bedrooms were the quietest place to have Zoom meetings. Now, with schools open, and many offices resuming occupancy, the space can change. The bedroom can be reclaimed. The kitchen can, once again, foster healthy eating and family meetings.
Those without families in-home experienced different changes. Isolation, discovering how to adjust to the world in-home and reaching into the world in a different way. Many of us kept running into ourselves through self-discovery cushioned by adjusting to a world that was enveloped in fear and doubt and wondering, “How long will this last?”
Couples spent more time together than they ever have and learned how to adjust to a life without a schedule that required leaving the premises, relaxation activities were no longer experienced alone and conversations either expanded or contracted, depending on the needs of the individuals.
So, here we are. What is our New Now and how do we want to design it? Just the way things are. Right now.
To begin, our homes have a life and a soul. They need tending and caring. If you live alone, it may be that you have reconfigured your space based on your more frequent use of it. Maybe those changes stay. If you are a part of a family, perhaps the busyness of the kitchen and public areas actually worked. If you are a part of a couple, perhaps the favorite chair that was moved to another space, stays there. There has been a life change for your home. How is it doing now?
Maybe there is a rethinking of how your residences are used in store for you. To initiate your plan for your space, initiate a deep clean that will help foster the new energy that is coming in while helping the old energy to exit. An emptying of excess possessions literally makes more space for thoughts and things that are truly useful and loved. Perhaps a new coat of paint on a wall and rehanging art work on other existing walls, will cause your space to breathe differently and give the observer, live-in or visitor, a whole new perspective on life.
Think about how you want to feel in your New Now. Focus on the Before that you were experiencing and and how that was. Are there parts of it that you want to maintain? Are their parts of it that you do not care to repeat? What new energy do you want to create for your New Now and your future? Design a space that holds your new intentions and start to gather symbols that you can place in your environment that will remind you of your new destination on this journey called Life. A small statue here, a treasured tablecloth there, dewdrops of happiness throughout. Encouragement, Beauty and Love reaching out to you with every step in your space will feed your inner and outer life.
As we travel this road together, reformulating our lives and businesses and homes, the world will start to buzz again, in a good way. And, I will be there, onstage with an outstretched hand, joyfully extended to you. Until then, please take a look at my book, You. Your Space. Your Life. and experience an opportunity to hone your environment to support you in every way.
Let’s build a container for our SoulSpace and connect with each other in a profound way. I’ll meet you there. I promise.
Ellen
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